Now Streaming: Hear New CDs from The Flaming Lips, Iron & Wine, Todd Rundgren, & More

One of rock's most legendary musicians/songwriters/producers, Todd Rundgren, has a new album coming out, and that's just one of the free streaming albums available for you to listen to this week. The Flaming Lips haven't been around as long as Rundgren (they have a mere 30 years of music making under their belts), but they also have a new album that's attracting a lot of interest.

Also of interest this week is the new album by singer-songwriter Iron and Wine, the latest from the rocking Portland trio The Thermals (who are great in concert), and a 10-year retrospective from Canada's Arts and Crafts label, a double album featuring songs and artists that have put that indie company on the map: Broken Social Scene, Feist, The Stills, Stars, The Dears, Dan Mangan, and Ra Ra Riot. (See the full track list here.)

And there's a disc by The Shouting Matches, the blues-rock side project by Bon Iver's Justin Vernon.



Pitchfork Advance: 
"Desperate Ground" by The Thermals
"Floating Coffin" by Thee Oh Sees

NPR First Listen:
"The Terror" by The Flaming Lips
"Inspiration Information/Wings Of Love" by Shuggie Otis
"Grownass Man" by The Shouting Matches
"Ghost On Ghost" by Iron and Wine

Spinner.com's Listening Party:
"State" by Todd Rundgren
"Beyond Was All Around Me" by Young Man
"The Boat of the Fragile Mind" by Belle Mare
"Henry Blak" EP by Henry Blak
"Electric Sounds" by Sad Baby Wolf
"Arts & Crafts: 2003-2013" by various artists

AOL Music Listening Party: 
"42: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" by various artists
"Stars In Stereo" by Stars In Stereo
"Talking Underwater" by Kree Woods

Music News: Bruce Springsteen Doc Premieres Soon, Top 25 Fall Albums, New Thermals Video, Yo Gabba Gabba Releases New Album

Left:  "The Promise: The Making of 'Darkness on the Edge of Town'" has its premiere next month at the Toronto International Film Festival. 

OK, here's a hodge-podge of music news items that really don't have much in common except, well, they're about music.

* The much-anticipated Bruce Springsteen documentary will premiere next month at the Toronto International Film Festival. "The Promise: The Making of 'Darkness on the Edge of Town'" takes the viewer behind the scenes into Springsteen's creative process creating his classic late-'70s album, the follow-up to the monster success "Born to Run." The first screening will be September 14th.

* Spin magazine has done a story on the "25 Fall Albums That Matter Most." Among the chosen ones: Weezer, Interpol, Matt & Kim, Kings of Leon, Kid Cudi, and Chromeo.

* Portland, Oregon's The Thermals are releasing its new album "Personal Life" in a couple of weeks, and here you can see the video for the song "I Don't Believe You." It features fellow northwest musician Carrie Brownstein, a guitarist of the much-loved band (and fellow Kill Rock Stars label mate) Sleater-Kinney.

Also, two of the three members of The Thermals made Magnet Magazine a mixtape of their perfect summer songs.



* The Nick Jr. TV series "Yo Gabba Gabba!" will release its second compilation album of music from the show, called Music Is Awesome! Volume 2, on August 31st. The CD will feature Yo Gabba Gabba! original tunes as well as songs from bands who've been on the show, such as Weezer, MGMT, and The Apples in Stereo. The album includes music from the show's first three seasons.

New York Concerts on Sale: Glee, Massive Attack, Public Image Limited, Broken Social Scene, Thom Yorke, and More

I usually don't do two consecutive posts about tickets on sale for New York City concerts, but there are some great ones that will be in high demand and that just went on sale or are about to. The first few listed are already on sale; after that the public on-sale date is listed.

* Massive Attack, Tues. May 11th, Terminal 5
* Atoms for Peace (Thom Yorke's new band), Mon. & Tues. April 5th & 6th, Roseland Ballroom
* Regina Spektor (benefit for Doctors without Borders), Tues. March 23rd, The Fillmore at Irving Plaza
* Public Image Ltd., Tues. May 18th, Terminal 5
* Broken Social Scene, Sat. September 19th, Central Park Summerstage 
* The Thermals, Wed. April 21st, Brooklyn Bowl
* Glee "Live in Concert!," Fri., Sat., Sun. May 28th, 29th, & 30th, Radio City Music Hall (ON SALE: March 23rd)
* Willie Nelson & Family, with special guest the Levon Helm Band, Wed. July 28th, Radio City Music Hall (ON SALE: March 12th)
* Carole King & James Taylor "Troubadour Reunion" (3rd show), Wed., July 30th, Madison Square Garden (ON SALE: March 15th)

The Thermals Heat Up Maxwell's

Portland, Oregon's The Thermals rocked a sellout show at Maxwell's in Hoboken Friday night, August 10th, even sparking a minor mosh pit at a couple of points. (This can be a somewhat unsettling event in a small room that holds only a couple hundred people.)

The trio, which calls its music "post-pop-punk," put on a set of relentlessly loud, fast, catchy tunes, including "Here's Your Future, "A Stare Like Yours," and "Pillar of Salt." The band's Web site says "The Thermals are well known for their joyously punishing live shows," and after seeing them, it's hard to disagree.

The combination of Hutch Harris (guitar and vocals), Kathy Foster (bass), and Lorin Coleman (drums) make a wonderfully tuneful racket. While it's not always easy to catch what Harris is singing, there's often a sharp-edged commentary on the world and society. The band's Web site says that their latest full-length, "The Body, The Blood, The Machine" (produced by Brendan Canty of Fugazi), is about "a young couple who must flee a United States governed by fascist faux-Christians." A couple of times Harris held up his guitar to show the crowd a message pasted on it that seemed to say "This machine kills fascists" — the same phrase that Woody Guthrie had written on his folk guitar.

As a big fan of music podcasts, I must note that it was podcasts where I first heard of The Thermals and their music. The IndieFeed podcasts, which feature daily downloads of one free track accompanied by a bit of description about the artist, introduced me to "Here's Your Future," I heard "A Stare Like Yours" on the defunct Free Radio Sub Pop, and a video podcast I used to follow featured a live performance of "Pillar of Salt."

After their show at Maxwell's, The Thermals are playing to a much bigger crowd today at Brooklyn's McCarren Park Pool, on a bill with Ted Leo and the Pharmacists. That show should pack in about five or six thousand people, and should win The Thermals some new fans.